- Yes
- No
- (independent) BeNeLux tree
- France: BeNeLux subtree
- other
- no/negative
TL;DR: Sherman Firefly Vc in Belgian service post-WWII
History
History
The Firefly has had a relatively short service life in the Belgian army, being introduced in 1946, right after the end of the second World War. During and after World War II, agreements were made with the United Kingdom for the supply of equipment for the new Belgian army. Through the British, the new armed forces would also be able to participate in the occupation of Germany. The negotiations for these agreements were not always smooth, and tensions sometimes ran high. Nevertheless, it was eventually successful in rebuilding a new Belgian military force.
In 1948, over 200 Fireflies were purchased from Van Loo in Antwerp. This scrap dealer had acquired a massive quantity of military equipment at a bargain price from the British, following a surplus sale near Sint-Anna. The Belgian government paid 35,000 francs per unit, which was only slightly more than the scrap value. The tanks were refurbished at the Rocourt Arsenal. The British Fireflies were based on different models: the M4A1s were used to establish the 2nd Lancers on April 6, 1949, initially with just 29 tanks, which were later increased to 58 by June (with the M4A4 version as seen in this suggestion). The M4A4s were assigned to the 1st Guides, which was established on August 4, 1950, and 72 of these tanks were later on allocated to the 1st Lancers when it became a medium tank battalion on June 1, 1951.
The Sherman Firefly Vc in the first picture is on display at the Army Museum in Brussels. Notably, the tracks are designed to dig deeper into the ground compared to other tracks. These are likely British Three-Bar Cleat type T49 tracks: steel track blocks with three steel ‘bars’ (ribs) designed for hard terrain.
Another striking feature is that the central suspension of the tracks is different from usual. It is a suspension from the M3 Tank Destroyer, which was only used on the very first production models of the M4. The standard M4A4 typically has the VVSS (Vertical Volute Spring Suspension) system. The markings on this Firefly Vc belong to the Belgian Army. Originally, the tank was supplied to the British Army, converted into a Firefly, and after World War II, it was acquired by the Belgian Army through various channels. After the war, the Belgian Army was equipped with this version, and the 2nd Regiment of Lancers was the first post-war Belgian tank regiment to be equipped with the Firefly. The military insignia (markings) on this Sherman Firefly Vc can be seen at the Army Museum in Brussels.
2nd Regiment of Lancers - 2de Regiment Lansiers | 2ème Régiment de Lanciers | 2L
The 2nd Regiment of Lancers was established on October 27, 1830, in Namur by decree of the Provisional Government. During the Ten Days’ Campaign in 1831, three squadrons participated in operations against the Dutch, including the Battle of Zonhoven. On December 22, 1831, King Leopold I of Belgium presented the regiment with its standard in Leuven.
When World War I broke out, the regiment formed a reconnaissance screen along the German-Belgian border in the area of Visé and Liège. On the first day of the war, August 4, 1914, Lansier Fonck was killed in Thimister, and the following day, Commander de Menten de Horne was killed in Plaineveaux. They were the first soldier and the first officer of the Belgian army to sacrifice their lives for the country during World War I. As a tribute to these early war events, the regiment’s motto became: “Meurs Premier, Comme Devant” (“Die First, As Before”).
After participating in the Battle of Liège, the 2nd Regiment of Lancers distinguished itself in the defense of Antwerp. For 45 months, the regiment fought in the trenches along the Yser River. During the final offensive of 1918, the regiment came under the command of the 7th French Army Corps and earned recognition for daring reconnaissance and actions in Ardooie, Ruislede, Tielt, and Roeselare. As a result, it became the only Belgian combat unit to receive the French Croix de Guerre 1914-1918.
In 1938, the 2nd Regiment of Lancers underwent complete modernization and was equipped with light tanks. During the Eighteen-Day Campaign in 1940, the regiment distinguished itself in Tongeren, Zwijndrecht, Dadizele, and Passendale. For its brave actions in the final phase of this campaign, the mention “Leie 1940” was added to the standard.
On October 1, 1948, a new tank battalion was established in Beverlo, taking on the name and traditions of the 2nd Regiment of Lancers. Equipped with Sherman tanks of several models, such as the Sherman Vc Firefly and the M4A1 HVSS 76.2 mm, the regiment relocated to Euskirchen (West Germany) in July 1951. In 1952, the regiment received Patton tanks, and by the end of 1969, it was equipped with Belgian Leopard tanks. In June 1976, the 2nd Lancers returned to Leopoldsburg.
SIPRI Arms Transfers Database for Belgium post-WWII
Recipient Supplier Year of order Number ordered Weapon designation Weapon description Number delivered Year(s) of delivery status Comments SIPRI TIV per unit SIPRI TIV for total order SIPRI TIV of delivered weapons Belgium United States 1948 ? 50 ? M-4 Sherman tank 50 ? 1950 Second hand M4A3E4 and M4A1 76 mm 0.34 16.8 16.8 Belgium United States 1951 ? 20 ? M-7 105mm self-propelled gun 20 ? 1951 Second hand Second-hand 0.3 6 6 Belgium United States 1951 ? 22 ? M-101A1 105mm towed gun 11 ? 1951 Second hand Probably second-hand 0.18 3.96 1.98 Belgium United States 1950 ? 200 ? M-24 Chaffee light tank 200 ? 1951 Second hand Second-hand Belgium United States 1950 ? 36 M-10 tank destroyer 36 ? 1950
Specifications
Dimensions: L/W/H: 5,89 m / 2,75 m / 2,62 m
Weight: 31,5 tons
Powerplant: Chrysler A57 multibank engine
Engine horsepower: 370 hp
Max speed: 40 km/h
Range: 193 kmCrew: 4 (Driver, Loader, Gunner, Commander)
Armour:
Front: 50.8 mm at 56°
Sides: 38.1 mm at 0°
Rear: 38.1 mm at 10°
Roof: 25.4 mm
Armament Gun 76,2 mm QF 17 pounder Mk.V Munition HE (Mk.1), AP (Mk.6), APC (Mk.4), APCBC (Mk.8), SMK (SS Mk.1) Ammunition 80 Coax 7.62 mm L3A1 (5000 rounds) Pintle mount Yes, 12.7 mm M2 machine gun (800 rounds)
Details regarding markings for the first picture
Open this for the vehicle
Vehicle Name:
St Georges – This name was given to the tank in connection with an event. It was uncommon for the Belgian armed forces to assign names to operational vehicles.Unit Marking:
A square (black), with the number 14 (white), refers to a specific unit within the Belgian Armed Forces, in this case the Staf & Cie HK 4 Ps Inf Bde. This refers to the organizational structure within the Belgian Army, specifically related to the headquarters of the 2nd Lancers regiment. This tank was a command tank for the 2nd Lancers.
A light-blue square with a white border with the number 51 (black), refers to the unit that predates the 1st Lancers (56), 2nd Lancers (57) and 1st Guides (58).License Plate:
50035 – A unique defense registration number, which can also be seen on vehicles of the British Army. In the Belgian armed forces the first 2 numbers refer to a specific vehicle type: the 50 refers to sherman tanks of the types M4, M4A1, M4A3 and M4A4 and their derivatives. 035 is the number for this specific armoured vehicle, meaning it was the 35th in Belgian service.Bridge Classification:
The number 30 within a yellow circle represents the weight class designation. Bridges were also assigned this classification. If the bridge’s classification number was equal to or greater than the vehicle’s weight class, the bridge could support the vehicle’s weight.
Place in War Thunder
Although this Sherman Firefly Vc is very similar to the ones in the British Tech tree, it still has some small differences, like said before in the suspension. It would easily fill a gap in the Benelux tech tree, but might also assist the current rank III line-ups in the French tech tree and would be a recognisable representation of early Cold War Belgian armoured history.
Regarding nations
BeNeLux
As the BeNeLux subtree for France has now been confirmed, France has the highest chance of recieving Belgian equipment. However an independent BeNeLux would also be very possible. For further info please go to: BeNeLux (Belgium, Netherlands & Luxembourg) Ground Forces.
Pictures
Sources
Sources
- SIPRI Arms Transfers Database. (n.d.). SIPRI. https://www.sipri.org/databases/armstransfers
- Historische foto’s 2L. (n.d.). Historische foto’s 2L – Verbroedering 2/4L
- Nilens, H. (2015). De heroprichting van het Belgische leger na de Tweede Wereldoorlog: de werkzaamheden van de Gemengde Militaire Commissie 1946-1948. Vub. (PDF) De heroprichting van het Belgische leger na de Tweede Wereldoorlog: de werkzaamheden van de Gemengde Militaire Commissie 1946-1948
- Pantser (n.d.). Tank Destroyer Sherman Firefly VC - Belgian Army
- Sherman Firefly tanks. (n.d.). Sherman Firefly tanks
- Visser, Y. (2019, December 5). Sherman VC Firefly: de krachtige Britse tankmodificatie. Historiek. Sherman VC Firefly: krachtige Britse tankmodificatie | Historiek